


Biotics

by commandershakarian



Series: Heir of Ash and Fire [4]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Biotics, F/M, Mass Effect 3, cursing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-10
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-08-21 18:41:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8256316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/commandershakarian/pseuds/commandershakarian
Summary: James Vega challenges Amber Shepard to test her biotics against his strength. Chaos ensues in the shuttle bay.





	

“I bet you can’t lift three crates at one time, _Lola_.” James taunted, a grin on his face as if he’d won the bet already.

Amber Shepard crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow at the cockiness in his words. “Oh, really? Vega, have you not been paying attention in battle? If I can crush a mech with my biotics, floating three fucking crates is child’s play.”

James shook his head, the smile only widening. “I’m hearing a lot of talk, but no action.”

Kaidan chuckled and took a step back, knowing full well how Amber’s powers acted when she was annoyed or angry. “You’re in for it now, Vega.”

James glanced at the spectre and held up his hands. “Whoa, man, I’m just sayin’.”

“Alright, James.” Amber said as she lifted a hand towards the crates that were stacked beside the soldier's weight area. The blue glow of her biotics surrounded her as she concentrated. The three crates easily floated in the area between the trio without much strain on her powers. She glanced at James with a grin of her own on her face. “Care to give up?”

James snorted and waved a hand at her. “Hell no. My turn.”

Amber set the crates on top of one another and stepped back, waiting for the muscular man to attempt to prove his worth. Kaidan tossed an arm across her shoulders, pulling her close and letting her rest her head against his chest. Then they waited.

James stretched his arms above his head before flexing. The only person Amber could think of him doing that was to show off his muscular physique. “Get ready to be impressed, _Lola_.”

“I doubt it.” She muttered, knowing that he could hear her.

James made a face at her before bending down and wrapping his arms around the lowest of the crates. He lifted and the crates wobbled slightly, but managed to stay in place. If Amber was feeling cruel, she would have hit the top box with a shockwave, but she would let him have his victory, no matter how tiny it was.

“Wow.” Steve Cortez’s voice echoed across the shuttle bay. “So strong, Mr. Vega.”

With a groan, James set the crates down on the floor and wiped the sweat that had gathered at his brow. “Don’t you know it, _Esteban_.”

Amber rolled her eyes at the banter. It would have been cute if she wasn’t so intent on proving that biotics were superior. Her emerald eyes searched the bay for her next challenge.

Next to her, Kaidan laughed at the ridiculous comment from James’ mouth. “What is that, Vega? Sweating already?”

James lifted a towel and wiped the perspiration from his forehead. “What? It’s proof that I work for what I’ve got.”

Kaidan shook his head. “And we don’t work for what we have?”

Amber ignored them as her eyes caught sight of the Alliance shuttle. There was no way in hell that James would be able to power lift that. Moving out of Kaidan’s reach, the vanguard approached the flight vehicle, attempting to figure out how this would work. Deciding it was worth a go, Amber felt the biotics course through her body and lifting her hand, she closed her eyes in concentration. Her powers grabbed hold of the shuttle.

Then she lifted it.

It took about a minute before the vehicle began to move but when she felt the shift in the energy of her biotics, she opened her eyes to find the shuttle floating.

“Holy shit.”

Amber turned to find that James and Kaidan were staring at the feat she’d managed, mouths hanging open. James had turned pale at the sight and for a brief moment, she felt triumphant. A sudden surge in her powers made her cry out, the pain that shot through her body making her release her hold on the shuttle. The vehicle crashed into the ground, sending pieces of thrusters flying through the air. James caught her in his arms before she could hit the ground. Kaidan threw up a barrier to protect them from the debris.

Once the pain had passed, Amber glanced at the shuttle and cringed. The thrusters were crushed under the weight of the fall. One of the guns in the front had been knocked loose as well. Steve Cortez hurried over to the wreck, his hands on his head as he stared at the vehicle that he put so much time and work into.

Suddenly, Amber felt horrible. “Steve, I’m so sorry.”

James handed Amber off to Kaidan’s care in order to inspect the damage.

Kaidan helped his girlfriend to her feet, concern on his face. “Are you hurt?”

Amber wanted to say yes, wanted to let him know that her body had a painful tingle to it and her head pounded like crazy, but Steve’s scared expression stopped her tongue. Meeting his eyes, she tried to look fine, but she could tell that he didn’t believe it.

“Amber-”

“What the fuck is going on down here?”

The sound of her sister’s voice made Amber’s eyes widened. Like Steve, James, and Kaidan, Amber turned to look at the elevator with the rest of their crew. Charley Shepard was walking towards the wreck, her stride imitating one on a mission. Her golden-brown eyes turned to where the shuttle stood and her steps paused at what she witnessed.

The shuttle bay was silent. Then everyone began to talk at once.

“Commander, there was a malfunction-”

“It was my fault, Shepard-”

“Charley, don’t listen to James-”

Charley rubbed her nose, the tick she usually did when she was irritated and trying to control herself. As the voices of her friends and crewmates grew louder, the Commander lifted her head and shouted. “Shut up! I don’t care who’s fault it is. This conversation is over.” Charley turned on her heels and headed for the elevator, not even glancing back as she left them with one final comment. “I’ll send Gillian down to help with the repairs.”

As the elevator doors closed on the Commander, the implications of her parting message became clear to those left in the shuttle bay. Gillian Sawyer. On the Normandy. And in a few moments she would be in the Shuttle Bay. With them. For the repairs.

Kaidan looked almost fearful as he glanced at Steve. Gillian was not easy to work with and he knew that better than any. “Gillian is back on the Normandy? _Shit_.”

“Now you’ve done it, _Lola_.” James said, turning to clean up the crates still left on the landing pad.

Amber sighed and covered her face with her hands. At the very least, she could spare her friends from Gillian’s grating presence since it _was_ her fault that this happened. “I’ll handle this.”

Kaidan smiled warmly at her. “Thanks for the offer, babe, but I’m not going anywhere.”

“Hell with that.” James muttered at her as he set the last crate down. “Let’s go, _Esteban_. My wallet needs to win back some of that money from you.”

As the men left the shuttle bay, Amber leaned against Kaidan, grateful that she had him by her side. She wouldn’t want anyone else with her.


End file.
